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Monday, February 25, 2013

Sopa de Tortilla with Sweet Corn Cake

1/3 Cup Masa Harina (Ground Corn Flour--you can find this in the Mexican section at the grocery)

4 Tablespoons Cold Water

10 ounces Frozen Corn Kernels, or Corn from 2 large fresh ears

3 Tablespoons Cornmeal

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Whipping Cream

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Boiling Water

Preheat oven to 350*.

Place Butter in mixer bowl and whip until soft. Continue whipping until very fluffy and creamy. Add Masa Harina gradually, mixing until combined well. Add Water gradually, mixing thoroughly. Place Corn kernels in blender or food processor and coarsely chop; stir into Masa mixture and set aside.

Place Cornmeal, Sugar, Whipping Cream, Baking Powder, and Salt in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add Butter-Masa mixture and mix lightly, until just blended.

Pour into a well-greased 8x8 pan and cover with foil. Place pan in a larger pan and pour in Boiling Water halfway up the Corn Cake pan. Bake at 350* for 40 to 50 minutes, checking and maintaining Water level if necessary. When Corn Cake is cooked through, remove and cool to warm room temperature. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop onto Sopa de Tortilla for serving.

Sopa de Tortilla

8 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

1 Red Onion, diced

2 Carrots, peeled and diced

1 Potato, peeled and diced

1/4 Cup Tomato Paste

1 Bay Leaf

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon pureed Chipotle Chili en Adobe

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/8 teaspoon Cumin

3/4 teaspoon Salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon Pickled Jalapeno Chili, seeded and chopped

1 Zucchini, diced

1 Yellow Squash, diced

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/8 Cup Lime Juice (from about 2 Limes)

1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped

For Serving:

4 6-inch Corn Tortillas, cut into julienne strips

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, more if needed

Shredded Jack Cheese

Sliced Avocado

Cilantro Sprigs

Salsa, if desired

Combine the first 13 ingredients (Chicken Broth through Pickled Jalapeno) in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, season to taste. Add Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Bell Pepper, and Lime Juice; bring to a boil again, then reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove Bay Leaf. Add Cilantro; stir and remove from heat. Soup may be frozen in batches if desired. Serves 8.

To Assemble:

Fry Tortilla Strips in hot Oil until crisp; drain on paper towel. Ladle Sopa de Tortilla into bowls. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheese and top with Tortilla Strips. Garnish with Avocado, a scoop of Sweet Corn Cake, a Cilantro Sprig and Salsa.

﻿

"Make a joyful noise unto God,

all ye lands.

Sing forth the honor of His name;

make His praise glorious.

Say unto God,

How awe-inspiring are Thou in Thy works!

Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee.

All the earth shall worship Thee,

and shall sing unto Thee;

they shall sing to Thy name.

Selah."

Psalm 66:1-4

This is what we had for "Balentimes Day," as the Little One said! In my opinion the seasonings could be kicked up a notch or two, but the children enjoyed this mildly seasoned soup and corn cake. I originally clipped the recipe from the newspaper's FOOD section many years back. Someone had been to El Toritoresturant and requested the recipe, which the restaurant graciously provided. The children think this Sweet Corn Cake is very similar to the corn cake Chevy's restaurant serves. Enjoy!